eNewsletter March 2017 edition of the United Reformed Church National Synod of Wales
Categories: Uncategorised
In early January, the former moderator of General Assembly, John Ellis, visited Penrhys to see and experience the life at Llanfair Uniting Church. He also joined church members and ecumenical representatives for the January Sponsoring Body of the church. John has recently taken up the role of Treasurer within the Council for World Mission (CWM), and he was particularly interested to hear about the links Llanfair has with CWM. The URC, along with another 3 of the 8 sponsoring denominations, is a member of CWM. One of the team working at Llanfair, Rebecca Lalbiaksangi, is a CWM mission partner and she, together with her family, have had a huge impact on the life of the church and the wider community over the last few years. Recently, the work being undertaken at Llanfair was recognised by the General Secretary of CWM, Colin Cowan, when he referred to it in an address to their General Assembly, ‘this life affirming community in which the needs, interest and well-being of everyone is considered and in which the strategic role of the church in the very centre of life in the community that encouraged and inspired us’. The Sponsoring Body of Llanfair requested John write down some reflections following his visit. What he had to say was encouraging, and a challenge to those privileged to support this special church. Here are some of his thoughts.
Striking Features
1 Cheerfulness: Despite plenty of statistics to suggest the setting could be depressing, everyone at Llanfair comes across as positive and cheerful, which in itself radiates hope. Rarely have I experienced homework being done with such delight.
2 Integrated and Separate: Looking out from the flat window, you see the Penrhys estate and the traditional Rhondda valley, but with a space between. This seemed to speak both of how the Penrhys story cannot be understood except as part of the Welsh Valleys story, but also that is cannot be understood unless recognised as having its own unique features.
3 Chapel culture for the 21st Century: Traditional Welsh chapel culture embraced social events, children’s activities, community building and personal support as well as worship, a focus for the lives of those it reached. Llanfair is just as central to the lives of Penrhys families as it reinvents in a new form the embracing care of the old chapels. But two differences are striking: in Penrhys the Christians offer this ministry as a united body not as competing denominations; and in Penrhys the worshipping community is small, leading to very few people to share all the demands of sustaining this comprehensive view of ministry.
4 Non-stop programme: Llanfair is busy every day. There is far more activity in the premises than in many churches with larger worshipping communities and larger premises.
Striking Questions
1 Ministerial Deployment
Any model of ministerial deployment that relies on gathering a substantial number of church members or worshippers under one minister will be of little relevance to Llanfair. Penrhys illustrates acutely the importance of a church leader living amongst the community their church is seeking to serve. How can denominations with fewer ministers respond?2 Locating Responsibility
Especially with few leaders on the ground, Llanfair highlights the need to be clear which parts of Church structures should be responsible for what types of support. Are regional Church bodies most valuable when they provide administrative and technical support to individual congregations, rather than when they attempt strategies of their own? How in ecumenical projects do we avoid responsibility always being with that other denomination? What is properly expected of funding bodies?3 Communications
Local church leaders work willingly with continuous intense demands but deserve adequate communications from outside Penrhys to provide support on matters that others can carry and to give them personal support. This includes having clear and responsive points of contact with partner organisations and sponsoring Churches. How is this best achieved and co-ordinated?One of the Regional Meetings of Synod is at Llanfair in March. If you’ve not been before, it’s worth a visit where you might be able to pick up on some of the features John has referred to above.
